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I Almost Killed My Best Friend Twice -- WWW 2015


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Chris and I have been best friends for 42 years.  We met at work and have been inseparable ever since.  If I hadn't moved to another city when I was 4, we would have attended the same high school toge

Saturday, May 2 -- Part 2   Later that evening the WW had their potluck dinner, and it was so good!  Can you believe I forgot to take a picture of the food table?  Shame on me!   As usual, Carol was b

First... Praise God that Chris is okay!  While I realized that many of the CM's were unnecessary, at least they appeared to care so...kuddos there Disney!   Pictures of you two are super cute; again,

Just got home.  Mama's laser surgery went well.  The doctor is trying to prevent her getting wet macular degeneration down the road and having to have the monthly shots.

 

Got the pictures from Chris that I need to continue this TR.  Haven't even looked at them yet. 

 

Praise God that all went well.  I hope the recovery isn't too tough on her...

 

I'm sorry your arthritis is becoming so tough.  It's a slam in the face, when we realize that somethings wrong... and that it may never get any better.  I pray that this is not the case, that God will feel you touch his garment and that your body will be strengthened.  With Tom's back, he is in constant pain.  It's so tough.  Some days he's "lucky" and the pain is only a 3 or 4... other days it's a 9 or 10 and it's those days that if God chose to call him home, he'd gladly go.  It's hard with 2 beautiful little ones, he misses out on a lot because he's in so much pain.  It's also tough around the house as really there's so much that he cannot do, because it will hurt him.

 

Weather/Pictures:  Looks like it was beautiful for your trip!  So glad that you and Chris got this time together!! :)

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I'm sorry that Tom is suffering so much!  I understand about missing out with the kids.  I used to play basketball and baseball with the grandkids.  Now I just have to sit and watch. Some days I'm lucky too with a 2 or 3 pain level.  Other days it's so bad that I can't even sleep.

 

But Chris is my inspiration.  She has lived for over 30 years with excruciating pain.  What I'm dealing with is nothing compared to hers.

 

And yes, the weather was beautiful except for the last morning.

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Saturday, May 2 -- the First Threat to Chris

 

Saturday was beautiful again.  Clear skies and highs in the 80s. 

 

We decided to visit a park Chris hadn't been to before:

 

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It wasn't too crowded:

 

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Our first stop was:

 

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Remember I said Chris couldn't experience extreme bumps or jostling because they might set off a fibro attack?  And if she has a bad attack, she ends up in the ER getting a shot that knocks her out for 24 hours.

 

But I've ridden the safari many times and thought she would be okay with it.  NOT THIS TIME!  Our vehicle was filled with wheelchair or scooter passengers.  Several vehicles got stopped in the savannah because of animals that wouldn't move.  When we finally could go, the driver went so fast ... the ride was so bumpy and rough ... we were holding on for dear life ... we were thrown all around in the vehicle ... and I was in tears knowing what this was doing to Chris.  I apologized over and over for suggesting she ride it!

 

It took longer for me to calm down than her, and thankfully she didn't have an attack.  Then I finally started joking that no, I really wasn't trying to kill her.

 

We didn't see many animals.

 

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Have you ever seen a giraffe sitting down?  The driver said this was rare.

 

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The fort isn't the only place that gets the green stuff in the water.

 

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I hope to one day get good pictures of the lion and lioness, but it wasn't this day.

 

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See the lion next to the rocks?  My camera focused on the grass in front, and I didn't have time to manually focus.

 

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I was grateful we were off the safari ride.  Our next stop was:

 

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Chris loved it.  I knew she would.

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Saturday, May 2 -- Part 2

 

After FOTLK, we stopped for lunch at one of the Flame Tree kiosks.  The restaurant was still under renovation, but they had limited items at the kiosks.  We shared the chicken and ribs combo and got grapes and carrots instead of the beans and cornbread that came with it.

 

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We enjoyed the views during lunch.

 

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We stopped to watch the macaws for a few minutes

 

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and then made our way over to ITTBAB, taking pictures of the Tree of Life along the way.

 

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And more pictures as we exited:

 

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Next up:  our WWW potluck meal.

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Gorgeous pictures!  I love the close up of the flowers especially. You know, the last time we were on the Safari we were delayed starting and then had to stop for animals a couple of times and then the driver went really fast too. And I was mad that we missed some things.  It's unfortunate that they feel the need to still keep on schedule on a ride that doesn't lend itself to that at all. It really takes away from the experience. 

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Wow... your truck was full of people with (obvious) health issues and the driver isn't extra careful?  I mean, I know it's a rough ride and they tell you that but still, very thoughtless :(

 

Lion King show... we haven't seen that in years; we need to try and make another visit this next trip :)

 

That chicken looks really good!!  How were the ribs??

 

 

Tom... yes, there are days when the pain is so bad, that nothing help.  Sitting, standing, laying, walking, sleeping... nothing.  Nothing makes it better, including any type of medicine.  Those are the days when you can visible see the pain in his face and you know that all he wants to do, is crawl out of his own skin.  It's horrible and it breaks my heart.  Sometimes I get frustrated because I have to handle so much work with the kids and around the house, but then I remind myself that he's not being lazy...the poor guy is in a lot of pain :(

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Gorgeous pictures!  I love the close up of the flowers especially. You know, the last time we were on the Safari we were delayed starting and then had to stop for animals a couple of times and then the driver went really fast too. And I was mad that we missed some things.  It's unfortunate that they feel the need to still keep on schedule on a ride that doesn't lend itself to that at all. It really takes away from the experience. 

 

Thank you!  I don't think I'll be riding the safari again any time soon.  And I certainly won't put Chris on it again!

 

Wow... your truck was full of people with (obvious) health issues and the driver isn't extra careful?  I mean, I know it's a rough ride and they tell you that but still, very thoughtless :(

 

I totally agree.

 

Lion King show... we haven't seen that in years; we need to try and make another visit this next trip :)

 

You should!  Your children will love it.

 

That chicken looks really good!!  How were the ribs??

 

Both the chicken and the ribs were excellent and so very tender.  And the platter is so big that it was more than enough for the two of us.

 

Tom... yes, there are days when the pain is so bad, that nothing help.  Sitting, standing, laying, walking, sleeping... nothing.  Nothing makes it better, including any type of medicine.  Those are the days when you can visible see the pain in his face and you know that all he wants to do, is crawl out of his own skin.  It's horrible and it breaks my heart.  Sometimes I get frustrated because I have to handle so much work with the kids and around the house, but then I remind myself that he's not being lazy...the poor guy is in a lot of pain :(

 

Oh, I feel so for him!  That reminds me that I need to hide my pain better.  David is constantly asking me why I'm making such a bad face.

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Saturday, May 2 -- Part 2

 

Later that evening the WW had their potluck dinner, and it was so good!  Can you believe I forgot to take a picture of the food table?  Shame on me!

 

As usual, Carol was busy working.

 

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So busy that she didn't even notice the birthday cake Jen brought in and these balloons that one of the ladies put beside her:

 

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Meanwhile the rest of us were busy eating and goofing off.

 

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And guess who joined us?

 

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Finally Carol closed her computer and was shocked to see the balloons!

 

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Great friends, great food, great fun.  What else can a girl ask for?

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Sunday, May 3 -- Boy, Did I Goof!  And Chris Paid the Price ...

 

Didn't sleep well the night before.  Got maybe 3 hours of sleep total.  Chris and I were both sluggish in the morning and couldn't get ready quickly.  After eating breakfast bars, we headed out to EPCOT.

 

When we arrived I whipped out my camera to start snapping.  It was dead.  What the fort?  And then I realized I'd left the battery charging in Gretchen's TT.  I was so angry at myself ... I had the camera, my heavy big zoom lens, and my prime lens to lug around all day .. and it was all useless.

 

Thankfully Chris had her camera.

 

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We didn't arrive in time to use our FP+ for Soarin', so we walked on to the WS entrance.

 

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Our goals for the day were to sample at the F&G food booths and to experience the American Adventure.

 

Our first food stop was at Florida Fresh for:

 

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                                     Watermelon salad and shrimp and grits.  Yum!

 

We saw this topiary somewhere.  Not sure of its location.

 

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Our next stop was the American Adventure.   I was very disappointed to learn that the Voices of Liberty wasn't performing that week due to rehearsals.  A jazz ensemble played instead.  They were good, but they weren't VOL.

 

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Next we stopped at Taste of Marrakesh, where we both tried the Harissa Chicken Kebab.

 

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It was really good.  But not quite as good as our earlier stop at Florida Fresh.

 

Then it was on to France.   Chris didn't want anything at the F&G booth, so she went back to the regular French cafe and got a crepe.  She didn't like it so much.

 

But I got the duck confit and the slush.

 

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Oh, my!  That was so good!  I could eat it every day.  And it didn't hurt that I had the world's best drink to wash it down with.

 

On our way out we found this display.

 

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We shopped in MouseGear for awhile.

 

And then we rode Spaceship Earth, because it was a first for Chris.  When we got to the Rome burning scene, I noticed her covering her nose.  But I didn't think enough about it.

 

We stopped and had some PP pictures made.

 

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We exited the park toward the bus stop.

 

We went through the metal gate where the security guard is stationed.  We stopped at the restrooms on the left. 

 

AND THEN IT HIT!  ELIZABETH, IT'S THE BIG ONE!  (for you younger people, this is a reference to Sanford and Son)

 

Chris sat down for a minute and then went running to the restroom yelling "I'm having an asthma attack!"

 

I've always known she has asthma, but I've never before experienced a serious attack.  It was a scary thing.

 

I ran and told the guard at the gate that we needed help.  That my friend was in the rest room having an asthma attack.

 

Chris came back out and sat on the wall.  At this point she was wheezing badly and beginning to throw up. 

 

After what seemed like forever, an EMT arrived.  The poor guy was at the farthest point in EPCOT from us and had to run all the way carrying his heavy equipment.

 

A few minutes later the Reedy Creek EMTs arrived.  Along with many other Disney employees.

 

Lots of questions.  Yes, she has asthma.  Yes, she has fibromyalgia.  Yes, she has an irregular heartbeat, but her doctor has tested her thoroughly and you shouldn't be concerned about it. No, she doesn't have her inhaler with her.

 

Just please make her breathe again.

 

I ... was ... terrified. 

 

The EMTs gave her a nebulizer treatment of albuterol.  Then they put her on oxygen until her levels were acceptable.

 

Thankfully no hospitalization, but she needed to get to her inhaler at the Fort ASAP.

 

The EMTs told us that they have had many asthma patients have attacks from the Rome burning smoke.

 

So why doesn't Disney put up a warning?

 

The smell is offensive to me, and I don't have asthma.  Why does the odor have to be so strong?

 

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box.

 

By that point we had at least 15 Disney employees "helping" us.  Out of deference to Chris, I didn't take any pictures.  But I wish I had taken just one to show how many Disney employees responded and how many were so unnecessary.

 

The director of transportation came to me and asked if I could leave my ECV behind to accompany Chris back to the fort.  I said absolutely not.  I also told him that Chris was in no shape to walk back to the camp site from the bus stop.  (At that point she was shaking severely all over from the albuterol.  There was no way she could walk more than a few feet.)

 

So the director arranged a private bus to take both of us back to the Fort.  And then he arranged for an SUV to pick up Chris at the bus stop and take her to our site.  I called ahead to alert Nicole and Gretchen to what was happening and ask them please to take care of Chris until I could arrive back at the site.  That little ECV has never flown so fast down the sidewalk ...

 

By the next day Chris had recovered and packed her inhaler on every outing!  And I asked her every day if she had her inhaler.

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Oh my! That must have been terrifying.

I once heard/read somewhere that if you have a life threatening episode, I.e. Heart attack. Your chances of surviving it greatly increase if it happens at an amusement park, sports arena, etc.

Glad she got the help she needed and quickly.

I did laugh out loud imagining you on your scooter zipping down the sidewalk as fast as can yelling at people and maybe knocking a few over.

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So scary!  So glad she is okay.

 

About extreme pain:  my husband was hit by a 5 ton truck when he was in the marines.  He has nerve damage and who knows what else in his right shoulder and arm.  He is never not in pain.  There are days that are worse than others but he always hurts.  I will say that he almost never complains about it, though.  You would never know by just looking at him that he's in extreme pain but like someone else said I can see it in his eyes.  

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Oh my word!!! I would never have thought anything about the smoke. It is very terrifying to watch someone have such an extreme attack. Sure glad all turned out fine. God's hand was definitely protecting and guiding.

 

I felt terrible that I didn't think about the smoke.  It was all my fault.  I should have known.  Yes, God was there with us!

 

Oh my goodness, that is so scary!  I am glad everything turned out okay.

 

Thank you.

 

Wow, how incredibly scary for both of you. I'm glad she was able to recover without having go to the hospital. Hopefully that is the end of that type of excitement for this trip!

 

Yes, that's the end of the bad excitement!  I was so afraid she would be sent to the hospital for a few days.  Very thankful she was okay.

 

Glad she was ok. Your pictures are awesome! Sounds like you guys had a great time! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Other than the two bad incidents, we did have a great time!

 

Wow - sounds like an incredible scare with the asthma attack!  Glad to hear that they were able to help her quickly and get her back to the Fort. 

 

From the photos it looked like she had enjoyed the first part of the day.

 

We both enjoyed the first part of the day.  We live two hours apart and don't get to see each other often.  Seven days together was wonderful!

 

At the time I was upset that it took so long for the EMTs to arrive.  But it probably seemed a lot longer than it really was.

 

First... Praise God that Chris is okay!  While I realized that many of the CM's were unnecessary, at least they appeared to care so...kuddos there Disney!

 

Pictures of you two are super cute; again, so glad you got this time together :)

 

Thank you, Nacole!

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Oh my! That must have been terrifying.

I once heard/read somewhere that if you have a life threatening episode, I.e. Heart attack. Your chances of surviving it greatly increase if it happens at an amusement park, sports arena, etc.

Glad she got the help she needed and quickly.

I did laugh out loud imagining you on your scooter zipping down the sidewalk as fast as can yelling at people and maybe knocking a few over.

 

Thankfully there were very few people on the sidewalk in the fort, and since we were in 1700 the ride wasn't too far.  But at that point I would have done anything to get to her as quickly as possible!

 

So scary!  So glad she is okay.

 

About extreme pain:  my husband was hit by a 5 ton truck when he was in the marines.  He has nerve damage and who knows what else in his right shoulder and arm.  He is never not in pain.  There are days that are worse than others but he always hurts.  I will say that he almost never complains about it, though.  You would never know by just looking at him that he's in extreme pain but like someone else said I can see it in his eyes.  

 

Brandy, sorry to hear about your husband.  Chris rarely complains about her pain either.  And even when she does, she minimizes it.  But I can tell too.

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So scary! So glad she is okay.

About extreme pain: my husband was hit by a 5 ton truck when he was in the marines. He has nerve damage and who knows what else in his right shoulder and arm. He is never not in pain. There are days that are worse than others but he always hurts. I will say that he almost never complains about it, though. You would never know by just looking at him that he's in extreme pain but like someone else said I can see it in his eyes.

Does he get any help from the VA?

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